Search This Blog

Defendants Stole More Than $1 Million Dollars from J.P. Morgan Chase Bank

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced a 148-count indictment of six members of a large-scale identity theft and cybercrime ring for stealing more than $1 million from J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, compromising at least 80 victims’ accounts at various bank branches.[1]
“Over the course of two years, accused criminals and corrupt bank employees colluded to defraud J.P. Morgan Chase and withdraw more than $1 million from the bank accounts of unwitting victims,” said District Attorney Vance. “The ring both pickpocketed these victims on the street, and colluded with the bank employees, to steal personal identification that in turn enabled the criminal organization to withdraw significant funds from bank branches from New York to Texas and Michigan. I would like to thank our Cybercrime and Identity Theft Bureau and J.P. Morgan Chase Bank for working together to ensure that this identity theft ring was brought to justice.”

The defendants are RICHARD DAMES, a/k/a "G," a/k/a “GK,” a/k/a “GEOVANNI KASANOVA,” 33; JAMALUDDIN ALMAHDI, a/k/a “RICK,” 66; WAYNE MITCHELL, a/k/a “WAYNE-O,” 42; RICKY MCCANTS, 30; MAKILA WILLIAMS, 25; and KIA WYLIE, 30. They have been indicted on multiple felony charges, including Grand Larceny in the First Degree, Identity Theft in the First and Second Degrees, and Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree. In addition, MCCANTS and WYLIE have been indicted on numerous counts of Computer Trespass. The crimes charged in the indictment occurred between February 17, 2009, and February 4, 2011.

According to documents filed in court, the identity theft ring is alleged to have operated as follows:

Members of the ring either pickpocketed victims or worked with J.P. Morgan Chase Bank employees whom they paid to obtain victim personal identifying information by infiltrating the bank’s computer system. In some cases, MITCHELL and his accomplices used some of the stolen property of victims who were pickpocketed to commit fraud weeks or months after the victim had been pickpocketed. In other instances, Chase Bank employees MCCANTS, WILLIAMS, WYLIE, and previously charged defendant Jon Emerenciano stole accountholder information—such as names, addresses, social security numbers, dates of birth, and account numbers—from the bank’s computer system and sold that information to DAMES and his co-conspirators. DAMES then provided the information to the members of the ring who would carry out the fraudulent bank transactions. The corrupt employees also copied accountholders’ bank signature cards, in order to allow members of the ring to better imitate a victim’s signature.

In addition, according to court documents, ALMAHDI conducted searches about the victims through internet websites, like ssndob.biz, to gain additional personal identifying information of victims. DAMES often ordered the victim’s credit report through annualcreditreport.com by impersonating the victim and entering his or her stolen personal identifying information as his own. DAMES and co-conspirators subsequently opened credit cards in victims’ names and purchased expensive items, including electronics, without paying for them.

On April 27, 2010, Bronx detectives conducted a search warrant at MITCHELL’s apartment and recovered, among other things, hundreds of stolen documents, including social security cards, driver’s licenses, checks, and credit cards, belonging to more than 100 different people. Some of the checks were from the same checkbooks used by Garnett, Walmsley, and Eli in carrying out fraudulent check cashings. Also recovered in MITCHELL’s apartment was a fraudulent identification card in a victim’s name containing Garnett’s picture. On December 29, 2010, Financial Crimes Task Force detectives conducted a search warrant at DAMES’s apartment, during which they recovered five stolen Chase Bank customer profiles.

In total, the defendants are alleged to have stolen more than $1 million dollars from J.P. Morgan Chase.

MCCANTS, WILLIAMS, and WYLIE have been fired by Chase Bank. Emerenciano was also previously fired by Chase Bank. DAMES and MCCANTS will be arraigned today in State Supreme Court. ALMAHDI, MITCHELL, WILLIAMS, and WYLIE are awaiting arraignment on this indictment.

District Attorney Vance thanked the Financial Crimes Task Force of the New York City Police Department, particularly Detectives Kevin Woods and Hector Rodriguez, the Computer Crimes Squad, and Investigator Karen Kelly of the New York County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the case. He also thanked the detectives of the Bronx Gang Squad and the Wappingers Falls Police Department.

Assistant District Attorney Tracy Conn is handling the prosecution of the case and presented it to the Grand Jury under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney David Szuchman, Chief of the Cybercrime and Identity Theft Bureau. Cybercrime Analyst Richard Barbieri, former Cybercrime Analyst Joseph Marazzo, Senior Computer Forensic Analyst Selena Ley, Computer Forensics Analyst Jessica Ho, and former Computer Forensics Analyst Alex Allphin also assisted in the case.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictment of CARY BUNIN, 69, for a securities fraud scheme that resulted in the theft of more than $3.5 million from at least 16 victims. BUNIN is the Chief Executive Officer of INTERNATIONAL BARCODE CORPORATION, which also operates under the name of BTI. BUNIN and his corporation are charged in the indictment with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, and violations of the Martin Act, New York State's securities fraud statute. BUNIN, along with his wholly-owned financial consulting company, ANDOVER CONSULTING SERVICES, LTD, were also indicted on charges of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree and violating the New York State Tax code.[1]

“CARY BUNIN and his corporation are charged with stealing millions of dollars from trusting investors, fueling the type of widespread mistrust that adversely affects our financial markets,” said District Attorney Vance.…

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictments of six subcontracting companies and their owners for colluding with LEHR CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION (LEHR) in a multimillion dollar scheme that defrauded numerous construction clients over the past decade. See, related story.

The announcement comes one day after DA Vance announced LEHR and four executives were indicted on crimes including Enterprise Corruption, the New York State Racketeering law. GODSELL CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION and its owner ARTHUR GODSELL are charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree. JT ROSELLE LIGHTING, INC. and its owner JAMES ROSELLE, LIBERTY CONTRACTING CORPORATION and its owners GEORGE FOTIADIS and KEVIN FOTIADIS, PJ MECHANICAL and its owner JAMES PAPPAS, SUPERIOR ACOUSTICS, INC. and its owner KENNETH MCGUIGAN, and SWEENEY & HARKIN CARPENTRY and its owner MICHAEL HAYES are charged with Grand Larceny in the Third Degree.[1]

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that PETER J. AJEMIAN, a Board-certified orthopedist, was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to eight years in prison for his role in the alleged massive fraud scheme in which Long Island Railroad (“LIRR”) workers claimed to be disabled upon early retirement so that they could receive disability benefits to which they were not entitled. Between the late 1990s and 2008, AJEMIAN recommended that at least 734 retiring LIRR employees receive disability benefits, and was responsible for treating nearly half of all LIRR employees who retired and received disability benefits in one four-year period. AJEMIAN pled guilty in January 2013 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and health care fraud, and one count of health care fraud before U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero, who also imposed today’s sentence.